Could Claude’s Bruins fate be a one game playoff?

The Boston Bruins finally managed to win a game on Tuesday night with a 4-3 comeback win vs the Detroit Red Wings. Brad Marchand tied the game in the third period with an all heart type of goal. David Pastrnak slapped home the winner in overtime, in what was his first goal in 18 games after scoring 19 goals in the previous 26 games. For the Bruins, it broke a rough 4 game skid in which they were outscored 16-6. The Bruins had fallen to 4th in the Atlantic and out of a playoff spot. The win on Thursday put them into the third and final playoff spot in the Atlantic. For one day, everyone in Bruins land could be optimistic though that optimism could melt away very quickly with the Pittsburgh Penguins coming to town tonight.

These are the Penguins that are 30-12-5 and who just annihilated the Bruins 5-1 on Sunday and could very well determine the fate of Claude Julien. With Brad Marchand and Tuukka Rask headed to the All-Star Game this weekend, it seem like a good time to can a coach. The new coach could take a few days to get accustomed to the team and allow for a smooth transition. If the Bruins were to get beat up by the Penguins tonight on home ice, it could very well be the breaking point for general manager Don Sweeney and Vice President Cam Neely. Another lackluster home ice loss after such a good win vs the Red Wings certainly could put many over the edge at the break.

The opposite could also be true for the head coach. A win or even just a good effort by the Bruins would make firing Julien very difficult going into the All-Star break. With a good result tonight, the rumors would likely be put on hold until after the season. It is certainly an interesting scenario going into this midseason game for the Black and Gold.
One thing is for sure though, this situation has been not handled well by the Bruins executives. If you are not going to fire the man, why leave it up in the air? One statement could have eased this situation. Until Tuesday night, it felt like the rumors were a distraction for everybody in the organization including the players. Bruins fans want answers and if you continue to do nothing, all you are doing is hurting yourself. If Neely and Sweeney were upfront and honest about the situation, very loyal Bruins fans would understand their reasoning. The longer this drags on, the worst it is for everyone. Hopefully, come Tuesday night in Tampa Bay, this horrid chapter of Bruins history will be over. A chapter whose ending could very well be decided by 10PM tonight at the TD Garden.

Matthew Cunha is a producer on The Drive, weekdays 4pm to 6pm on 92.9fm The Ticket and streaming live at DriveShowMaine.com. Follow us on Twitter, @DriveShowMaine and “Like Us” on Facebook, Drive Show Maine.